Tag: Capitol Insurrection

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Capitol Insurrection GOP January 6 Viral Video

Chilling New J6 Video Shows Rioter Remarking, ‘They Can Only Kill So Many Of Us’

New video taken by a January 6 rioter shows a dramatic confrontation between people who stormed the Capitol on that fateful day and confronted two Republican members of Congress.

The footage, which was obtained by NBC News via an open records request, is some of the most harrowing yet seen by the American public.

According to NBC:

The 8-minute video, shot by Capitol rioter Damon Beckley and introduced as evidence ahead of his sentencing, was released to the media coalition late Friday in response to a request from NBC News. Federal prosecutors are seeking more than three years in federal prison for Beckley, and his sentencing has now been rescheduled for Feb. 9. 

In a tense moment, Beckley is told by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), who served as a sheriff before being elected to the Congress, “I’ve been in law enforcement in Texas for 30 years, and I’ve never had people act this way. I’m ashamed!”

Another portion of the video shows Beckely noting, “I drove fourteen hours to get here and stood in the cold for three and a half hours to find out that Mike Pence is a f—— traitor, man. And I voted for that f—— dude. He could’ve done the right thing and certified those legislators, electors, and we wouldn’t be standing here with a nine-millimeter pointed at me right now!” 

A second rioter remarks, “We’re real American citizens, and we’re sick of this. We’re making it known that we’re sick of it.”

Another rioter is heard telling someone, “They can only kill so many of us.”

During a speech he made Friday to commemorate the third anniversary of the Capitol insurrection which left 10 people dead, President Joe Biden said:

“This is the first national election since January 6th insurrection placed a dagger at the throat of American democracy — since that moment.  We all know who Donald Trump is.  The question we have to answer is: Who are we?  That’s what’s at stake. Who are we?”

Watch the video, direct from NBC:

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Donald Trump Elections

Trump’s Latest Legal Argument Could Disqualify Him From Serving Even If He’s Reelected

A legal filing made this week by attorneys representing failed one-term, twice-impeached, and multiply-indicted ex-president Donald Trump to keep him on the 2024 ballot in Colorado contains odd language that could allow him to run for the presidency but automatically disqualify him from serving even if he wins, according to former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade.

During an appearance on MSNBC this morning, McQuade was asked by host Mika Brzezinski:

“What are your thoughts on whether the Supreme Court actually takes it, the timing of it, and also how the Trump team created their petition, what they led with versus what Donald Trump is accused of, therefore making him ineligible to be on the ballot?”

“Yes, I think the court will have to take up the case. Whether it decides it on the merits, I think, is another question,” McQuade responded. “I do agree with one of the things he wrote in his brief, which is, this is a matter of significant importance that must be decided urgently. I think that as we see all of these other primaries starting to play out across the country, starting this month, I think it is very important that this issue be resolved.”

She added: “The lead argument that he makes here is one I haven’t heard before. You know, he’s got all the greatest hits in there: the 14th Amendment doesn’t apply to the U.S. president, this wasn’t an insurrection. Even if it was, he didn’t engage in it, all the things we might expect.”

“One he led with that is interesting to me is that the 14th Amendment only bars someone from holding office, not running for office,” McQuade noted. “Therefore, he should be permitted to run, be elected, and only on January 20th of 2025, should it be said, ‘Sorry, folks, he can’t serve.'”

After laughing, McQuade continued, “You know, that sounds like a textualist argument, and maybe the court bites on it, but imagine the absurdity? He can’t serve, so his vice president is the president of the United States. Maybe that’s how we’ll see the court play out.”

“I do think the court is likely to take an off-ramp. A more likely off-ramp, I think, is one that says this is not a justiciable argument, that is, this is a matter for Congress, not the courts to decide. So that might be one that they bite on.”

 

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Donald Trump GOP Justice Department The Trump Adminstration WTF?!

Evidence Suggests Some Congressional Republicans Could Still Be Charged For Jan. 6

While it’s been clear for some time now that former President Donald Trump was directly involved in fomenting the violence that took place on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol, reporting from The New York Times suggests that some Republicans in Congress also played a role in the efforts to subvert the 2020 election and keep power through a violent uprising.

Specifically, the Times reveals that notes taken by a top deputy to then-Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen point directly to a coordinated effort between Trump and members of Congress. Those notes, which were handwritten by deputy AG Richard Donoghue, report what Trump told Rosen:

“Just say that the election was corrupt + leave the rest to me and the R. Congressmen.”

That, many legal experts said, is a literal smoking gun, and it means that several Republicans in Congress are facing indictment for their role in what transpired on that fateful day.

Philip Bump of The Washington Post focused in on the notation from Donoghue:

“What Donoghue’s notes suggest is that Trump had fully bought into the effort that would eventually become his Alamo: having Republican legislators block the electoral-vote counting due to take place at the Capitol on Jan. 6.”

Failing to certify counting of the electoral votes would have resulted in a Constitutional crisis. The added chaos of a riot at the Capitol would have provided the perfect opportunity for Trump to declare a national emergency and refuse to hand over the reins of power to Joe Biden. It also would have provided an “excuse” for a coup d’etat. And it would have even had the blessing of a faction in Congress.

Once again, quoting Philip Bump:

“Some congressional Republicans clearly did their best to aid Trump’s effort. On the morning of Jan. 6, (Rep Mo) Brooks spoke before Trump at a rally outside the White House. It was time, he said, to ‘start taking down names and kicking ass.’ It’s not clear if any of those in attendance did the former, but some clearly did the latter.”

Brooks, along with Reps. Jim Jordan, Jim Banks, Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kevin McCarthy (and perhaps others) may well find themselves charged with crimes by the Justice Department.

 

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Capitol Insurrection Crime GOP

Eric Swalwell Draws A Direct Line Between Jim Jordan’s Sex Scandal And His Actions On Jan. 6

For years, scandal has surrounded Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who has yet to fully explain why when he was an assistant coach on the Ohio State University wrestling team in the mid-1990s he failed to report that sexual abuse of young athletes was being committed by the team doctor, Richard Strauss. Strauss killed himself in 2005 and is believed to have abused at least 177 students from 1979 to 1996.

And now Jordan is at the center of yet another scandal, and this one could well cost him his political career and result in him being charged with crimes against the United States for his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

 

One of Jordan’s colleagues, Rep. Eric Swalwell, says there’s a connection between the Ohio Republican’s actions at Ohio State and his alleged coordination with members of the Trump administration who attempted to orchestrate a coup on the 6th of January.

During an appearance on MSNBC, Swalwell noted:

“I’m not a Harvard lawyer. But the way that he has talked about his involvement certainly makes him look — the way that he is now moonwalk-ing away from responsibilities as to why — probably makes him complicit. This is an incident of workplace violence. Let us just step back. In any workplace — if this has happened. If you worked with contact with someone who is responsible for the workplace violence. If you did nothing wrong and you had nothing to do with it. You would raise your hand and say, let me help make this safer.”

Swalwell then added that Jordan’s refusal to speak to the House 1/6 Select Committee without being subpoenaed is the same sort of thing he did at Ohio State:

“The fact that he does not want to cooperate, I think, puts him in the category of the people who had some knowledge of what Trump wanted to do. And, by the way, Lawrence, this guy has priors. This is not the first time he has been accused of witnessing a crime and not wanting to report it or help investigators.”

 

Jim Jordan allegedly enabled the actions of sexual predator even though he could have reported what he knew and protected other students. And now he’s an enabler of a plot to overthrow the elected government of the United States. Both are disgusting and abhorrent, and it’s time that Jordan paid for his refusal to speak when others were in danger.

 

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Capitol Insurrection Crime January 6 Justice Department

J6 Rioter Facing Quadrupled Prison Sentence After Calling Prosecutors A ‘Clown Show’

A New York man convicted for taking part in the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol could soon be facing a long time in prison as the result of an angry tirade he directed at federal prosecutors after he was convicted.

Frank Giustino was originally sentenced to three weeks incarceration for actions, but is now likely to get four months because he couldn’t keep his big mouth shut.

Scott MacFarlane of CBS News reports that Giustino showed “no remorse for his conduct on January 6” and instead presented “himself as the victim,” all the while referring to “the prosecution as a ‘clown show’ and a ‘nuisance.'”

“Giustino’s behavior in Court further evinces his belief that the attack on the Capitol was righteous… necessitating a sentence that will deter him from similar conduct,” prosecutors argue.

While it’s rare for prosecutors to call for an increase in a sentence, Giustino appears to have given then exactly the proof they need that an enhancement is justified.

Giustino previously proved his complete lack of respect for the law by firing his attorney and demanding that he be allowed to represent himself even though the judge in the case informed him that a lawyer could help him negotiate a lower sentence.